Telephone-answering instrument



w. n. CALVERT TELEPHONE ANSWERING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. I919.

2 SHEETSS HEET I mill'lllllll wrmsszs I V INVENTOR' .z. VAKKIEH BLALVERT z A TTORNEYS W. D. CALVERT. TELEPHONE ANSWERING INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1919.

1,368,481 Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2. FIE E- Z5 iiliilii IlllllllllllllIlllllllllllIIII WITNESSES INVENTOR VA an I) CALVE T ffififigzy- 1 g K To all whom it may concern:

UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wnnnnn DAVID CALVERT, or ALTOONA, rminsirnvmih.

TELEPHONE-ANSWERING INSTBUHEN T.

, Be it known that I, WARREN D. CALVERT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone- Answering Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My inventlon relates to improvements in telephoneanswering instruments, and it consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

The foremost object of in invention is to provide an instrument to he used in conjunction with any telephone, to automatically answer the telephone upon the ringing of the local telephone bell.

A further object of the inventionis to 1'0- vide an instrument for the purpose descri d,

which has instrumentalities for raising the telephone receiver and speaking a stereotyped message into the transmitter both of said actions being automatically initiated upon the ringing of the telephone bell and the energization of certain mechanism connected therewith.

A further ob'ect of the invention is to provide a device or the purpose described, includin means whereby the telephone may be he (1 in order to give the occupant of the residence wherein the device is installed, time to'get to the telephone to enter into conversation..

The fnndamental object of the invention is to provide a sound reproducing machine to be used in conjunction with any telephone, having means embodied therein for raising the telephone receiver and speaking a message into the transmitter, so that the party at the other end of the line may know that'the occupant is out and can be located at another telephone number; is engaged, or will return at some specified time,,etc., these actions being automatically performed by suitable means that is energized on the rm ing of the telephone bell.

ther objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the telephone answering instrument applied to an ordinary desk telephone,

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the receiver lifter,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the mouthpiece, I

and

Fig. 7 is a detail diagrammatic view of one form of relay switch that may be used in connection with the device.

Reduced to its fundamental principles, there are three basic elements that comprise the improved telephone answering instrument, namely, the relay switch 1, the motor driven phonograph 2, and the receiver lifter 3. So far as the relay switch is concerned, this does not directly form any part of the invention because. any suitable relay switch now on the market can be employed to serve the present purpose,

However, to make the operation of the relay switch clear, attention is directed to Fig. 7, wherein is diagrammatically shown a relay switch which will be found suitable to start the motor of the phonograph and keep it running for a short time. Wires 4 are connected at one end to the ordinarytelephone line wires 5 that lead to the call box 6 as shown in Fig. 1. An ordinary switch Patented Feb. 15-, 1921. Application filed February 20, 1919. Serial No. 278,136. I

7 embraced by the wires 4, is used to render the answering instrument inoperative when desired. This is accomplished simply by armature then moves up and engages the elongated contact 10 of the house current wires 11.

Attached to the armature 9 is a plunger 13 which fits rather tightly in a cylinder 4 and is normally held down by a spring 15. The opening for the plunger at the top of the cylinders is large enough to enable the airto' escape rapidly when the armature 9 is drawn upwardly. A minute hole in the bottom of the cylinder beneath the plunger 13 prevents the air from escaping rapidly when the plunger is pressed down by virtue of the-tension of the spring 15 after the ringing circuit ceases to energize the mag- -net 8.

It will be readily understood that the purpose of the cylinder and plunger is to slowly draw the armature 9 from engagement with the contact 10 so as to cut off the current from the motor 16 of the phonograph 2, after a short interval of time. The contact 10 is made long enough so that the circuit through the motor may continue long enough to enable a repetition of the message on the wax cylinder 17 of the phonograph into the transmitter 18 of the telephone 19.

The phonograph 2 may be of any desired type and is preferably of as simple a design as can be obtained so as to keep the cost of the answering instrument low enough for popular use. It will be observed that a flexible tube-20 leads from the sound box 21 of the phonograph to the mouthpiece 22. The mouthpiece is fitted over the transmitter as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and here it will be observed that the mouthpiece 22 is of a peculiar shape. Thelower edge 23 is preferably cut away to leave an air channel 24. The opening thus provided not only makes it easier to apply the mouthpiece to the transmitter 18 but also serves the important function of providing an air channel in communication with the outer atmosphere. It has been demonstrated that the result so far as clearness of speech is concerned, it is better to leave such an air channel because if the mouthpiece 22 were entirely closed, there would be a mufiling or damping effect on the diaphragm. The upper edge of the mouthpiece 22 is curled over as at 24 so as to snugly fit the upper edge of the transmitter mouthpiece.

Practically the only modification of the phonograph 2 to accommodate the present purpose is, to extend the shaft 25 of the mandrel to enable the attachment of the drive pinion 26. The pinion 26- drives the gear mechanism of the receiver lifter 3 which is illustrated principally in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and to which attention is now directed.

An eccentric 27 on a countershaft 28 is arranged to tilt the receiver support 29 from the full line position to the dotted line position in Fig. 3-when the telephone bell rings,

and thereby to lift the receiver 30 and open communication to the transmitter 18 from the phonograph 2. The support 29 has a pan-like enlargement 31 on which the receiver rests. The eccentric 27 consists simply of a circular disk with portions 32 cut away to. bring the central contacting point 33 a suflicient distance in from the periphery of the disk to enable the support 29 {p no3rmally assume the full line position in The countershaft 28 is driven by gears 34 which are of the required ratios-to obtain a slow enough movement of the eccentric 27 in comparison to the speed of rotation of the cylinder 17, and give time enough for the relay in the actual building t the speaking of a message once,. twice, or more times, into the transmitteriwhile' the receiver 30 is raised. The receiver lifter includes the supporting frame 35 on, which the various parts of the lifter are mounted. The frame includes the pivot 36 in which the support 29 is journaled. The frame also includes the standard 37 to which the locking detent 38 is pivotally secured. v

The detent 38 is normally held away from the support 29 by a latch 39 of any suitable description. Under ordinary circumstances the detent 38 is ppsitively held away from the support 29. owever, should a circumstance arise wherein' the occupant of the house may desire to answer the telephone in person and still be unable to come to the telephone at the moment the bell rings, the latch 39 is unloosened, thus leaving the detent 38 free to swing over the end of the support 29 when the receiver lifter mechanism operates to lift the receiver 30. It can now be readily understood that when the receiver is lifted as indicated by the dotted line position of the support 29 in Fig. 3, the detent will readily swing across the rear end of the support and prevent it from're'turning to the original position even after the eccentric 27 again reaches its original position.

T he operation.

Immediately upon the ringing of the telephone bell in the call box 6, the magnet 8 in switch 1 is energized and attracts the armature 9, whereupon current from the wires 11 energizes the motor 16 and the phonograph 2 starts operation. It will require but few turns of the mandrel of the phonograph to carry the eccentric 27 past one or the other of the flat places 32, whereupon the periphery of the eccentric will bear on the rear end of the support 29 and lift the receiver 30.

The phonographic cylinder 17 is prepared with certain stereotype messa es, for example: Mr. Phillips is out an will return in ten minutes, or Mr. Smith is busy; please call again in ten minutes, etc. These messages can be arranged on the phonographic cylinder 17 in any desired way, for instance, one cylinder may have various kinds of messages to serve diflerent purposes, arranged in zones, and preferably these messages will be recorded on the cylinder perhaps three or four times so as to make sure that at least one will be understood by the party calling.

Contact is maintained in the-relay switch 1, long enough to permit the various parts of the instrument to perform their proper function, and o viously, in a device of this kind there are always certain parts that will require further develo ment and refinement ereof. It is thought suflicient. for the present purpose to-set forth a generally operative device, the various elements of which being capable of use therein in the manner already described.

The advantages.

It is a matterof common experience to make a telephone call with the onlyreward at the end of a tedious wait, to hear the reort that the other party will not answer.

his comes not infrequentl that the other'party 1s eit er out or is so otherwise engaged that he cannot get to the telephone while the bell is ringing. With this improved telephone answering instrument, the party calling is instantly rewarded with an answer advising him that the arty to whom he desires to speak is out, may e located at another telephone number, or otherwise engaged, and he need not lose valuable time in awaiting an unfavorable reportfrom the telephone operator.

It is thought needless to enlarge further upon the benefit and advantages of the answering instrument, it' being'thou ht sufficient to say that it is capable 0 almost universal application and also of popular use because of its comparative simplicity and cheapness.

While theconstruction and arrangement of the telephone answering instrument as herein described and illustrated is that of a generally preferred form, obviously, modications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

1. The combination, of a telephone transmitter, receiver and ringing circuit; and an automatically operating answering instrument, comprising a phonograph with motor drive mechanism, and a cylinder having a recorded message, a reproducer in communication with the transmitter to conduct a spoken message thereto, and lifting mechanism on a part of which the receiver isplaced, operatively associated with a part of said drive mechanism, to lift the receiver in the'initial operation of said drive mechanism, the motor of said mechanism being in electrical association with and under the control of said ringing circuit.

2. The combination, of a telephone transmitter, receiver and ringing circuit; and an.

automatically operating answering instrument, comprising a phonograph with motor drive mechanism, and a cylinder having a.

recorded message, a reproducer in communication with the transmitter to conduct a spoken message thereto, lifting mechanism from the fact.

leasable when desired, into association with the receiver lifting part, to hold the receiver up independently of other parts of the lifting mechanism. 1

3. The combination, of a telephone trans- 'mitter and receiver, including the rin ing circuit; and a ,sound reproducing mac ine with a motor-driven gear train in operative communication with the transmitter, lifting means on which the receiver is placed, and means included in said train, for actuating the lifter on the initial operation of said machine and again lowering it at a precircuit; and a sound reproducing ,mac inc with a motor-driven gear train in operative communication with the transm1tter, 11ftmg means on WlllCh the receiver is placed,

means included in said train, for actuatin the lifter'on the initial operation of sai machine and again lowering it at a prede- I termined time,'said machine being initiated in its operation on the energization of the ringin circuit, and means capable of being operatively disposed to the lifting means when desired, to holdthe receiverup independently of said actuating means, and an automatically operating relay switch in connection with the ringi sound reproducing mac ine, for stopping saidmachine after a predetermined time.

5. An automatic telephone answering instrument, comprising a sound reproducing machine with means arranged to be connected to the transmitter of a telephone to issue sounds into the transmitter, a telephone re ceiver lifting mechanism including a pivoted support with a receiver placed on one end, and means'bearing on the other end, arranged to be actuated by the sound reproducing machine to rock said support.

6. An automatic telephone answering 1nstrument, comprising a sound reproducing machine with means arranged to be con-.

nected to the transmitter of a telephone to issue sounds intothe transmitter, a telephone receiver lifting mechanism including a pivoted support with a receiver placed on one end, means bearing on the other end, arranged to be actuated by the sound reproducing machine to rock said support,

and a member normally held back, but releasable when desired, to engage a part of said receiver lifting means and hold the receiver lifter stationary when the receiver is lifted. I 7. In an automatic telephone answering instrument, the combination of a telephone circuit and said.

cut away on the lower edge to leave an air channel.

8. An automatic telephone answering 1nstrument, comprising a sound reproduclng machine having a sound record, With a reproducer provided with a sound conducting connection arranged to be attached to a transmitter; a receiver lifter frame, a movable receiver support for supcomprising a porting areceiver,'m0unted on the frame; means engaging a portion of said support enabling it to assume a normally lowered position, and arranged upon movement to move the support and raise the receiver, actuating means for said movable engaging means, operatively connected with a moving part of said reproducing machine; and releasable latch-held means arran ed to co operate with said support to hofil the receiver u at redetermined times.

VA REN DAVID CALVERT 

